Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia suffered an early exit at the Kumamoto Masters after losing to Japan's Minoru Koga in the men's singles qualifying round on Tuesday.
The former All England champion was unable to overcome the home favourite, going down 15-21, 10-21 in just 32 minutes at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
Currently ranked World No. 40, Zii Jia entered the tournament hoping to collect valuable ranking points as he continues his efforts to return to the world's top 32. However, the defeat prevented him from reaching the main draw of the Super 500 tournament.
The result also reversed their previous encounter at the Swiss Open in March, where Zii Jia defeated Koga in straight games during the qualifying rounds.
His early departure is a disappointing setback, particularly after showing encouraging signs of improvement at the Arctic Open last month. The Malaysian reached the semi-finals in Finland, suggesting that he was gradually regaining his competitive form.
Despite the disappointment in Japan, Zii Jia still has another opportunity to strengthen his ranking before the end of the season. He is expected to compete at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow, India, from November 24 to 29.
The tournament will provide the independent shuttler with another chance to collect ranking points and build momentum heading into the 2027 season.
